Tag Archives: reflection

The first is of course the storm…. hope you’re not sick of hearing about that just yet! 🙂

It’s another in the vertical orientation but a bit wider. This enables you to see all the way to the cloud top, and there’s still some cool illuminated clouds stretching all the way to the top of the frame. The lightning went off during this exposure too, and while I don’t think it’s as nice as the previous, tighter composition- I still really like it.

Dreamy Pool

And finally here’s an image from Thursday Rock. The sunset wasn’t all that great, but with some clouds around I was able to get this real moody and atmospheric image looking across the pool and up to the rock cairn in the distance.

I don’t know if anyone else finds the same thing happening. But I tend to go through stages where all of a sudden, all I seem to get is images in Portrait format. For some reason, every time I go out the scene seems to attract that type of image. I then find myself really trying to work on making a Landscape image in these location, sometimes forcing it a bit to get the horizontal format.

Spinning Windmill

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When I was shooting this scene, I was in this stage once again. After setting up- I once again found myself in that Portrait format. Really liking the reeds balancing with the windmill. The problem i’ve found is then I have 2 very very similar images. Often it is hard to choose which one I like the most. This time I like the composition of the Vertical, yet the stronger colours grabs my attention more in the horizontal image. They were taken about 10-15 min apart and the light had changed a fair bit between shots.

So anyways, I thought i’d post it and see what people have to say. It’d be interesting to hear how everyone get’s out of “ruts” similar to these. I guess if it’s a stronger image in a particular orientation- it doesn’t matter. But it’s one of those things i guess where I try to get a bit of variation.

Well I have a heap of images ready to post, and had every intention of posting about 3 since my last post…. But damn, things take too much time! 😛 Hopefully things will slow down a bit and I can get some of these new images up. The more I post, the more I have to go out and shoot. Gets me off my butt a bit more anyway.

Salt Lake Views

Here’s another shot from the morning down at the Stirling Ranges. The haze basically wrote off most of the trip, but also created my previous shot. 15 or so minutes after I took that image, the sun had risen above the horizon and was casting some wonderful side lighting on these dead trees. After ending up shin deep in the mud (I wish I could say only once….) I got out to this spot and set up. I couldn’t set up with any conventional composition involving the tree’s and the mountains. So I thought I’d go for something outside of the box. Basically a 50/50 set up. I wasn’t sure how it would work, but when I viewed it back at camp I was quite pleased.

The light off the timber really catches my eyes. And basically I had clouds I had for the whole trip whisped across the sky, thank god for them! The peak you can see is Toolbrunup Peak. Which has to be one of the best climbs in the park. Definitely one of my favourite mountains, apart from the Eastern Peaks. But being so much more easily accessible it’s got to be one of the best.

Well anyone who knows me, or spends any decent time with me- knows how I feel about the Stirling Ranges…. I love them!!! 🙂

Every chance I get I go there, even if that means a total of 15 hours (of which most was driving) to see snow there last year. Something i’ve experienced a few times there but could never get sick of. I worked down there for a year, which for me is heaven! I used to climb a mountain before work! Oh how many times i’m sitting at work these days dreaming of where i’d rather be. A few of them a week is good for the soul.

So with the global finance crisis taking hold. My company did as so many are doing and forced us to take excess leave. So I thought what better way to use them then going down to my beloved Stirling’s for a few days. So off I set, with a new image in mind. I’ve seen many images of the Stirlings, and really wanted to get out a new vantage point. Something that sums up my love for the place, and shows a different side to the tourist side which is what is mostly shown. A image which has been in my mind for quite some time, but i’ve never quite got it. Then as i’m driving down- I start realizing it might all be falling apart….

As they so often do, the farmers of the area are burning the remnants of their crops from last year, and clearing tree’s and rubbish- also burning. Now with the weather forecast (dry and no wind and no clouds) fresh in my mind I knew what this could mean… haze- and lots of it!

Oh well, i’m here so lets make the most of it! So up I got early to climb Bluff Knoll for sunrise. I misjudged the rise just a lil. Not that it was to matter anyway as when I rocked up at the carpark I bumped into none other then Kirk, Neil and Jamie. Who were down there on their trip. So I hung out with them a bit and watched a pretty ordinary sunrise (one of many to come). It was good to finally meet them. And I would have loved to have got out for a shoot with them- but that never eventuated.

Anyway the next morning I headed round to where I hoped I may be able to snag the shot I was after. They’re probably going to hate me for not informing them of this location. But not really knowing it yet- I couldn’t direct you somewhere I had no idea about. And also I couldn’t give away the prime location I’ve been waiting for, for the last 3 years! Sorry guys, you’ll get it next time 🙂

Cotton Candy Hills

Well that’s enough blab from me. Here’s the first shot. As you can see there was an incredible amount of haze. It’s really given the image a very different feel. I like it, i’m still thinking of converting it to B/W as well to give that a go- I just need some more work at the conversions. But the early light coming through the haze has given it some very unusual colouring. I saw the branch in the lake and thought that would make the perfect addition to the reflection part of the image. It would have been great with a nice clean blue sky with the same clouds white. But with the conditions I was given I came away quite happy with this image.

Weano Gorge is a fantastic introduction to the gorges found in Karijini. It is only a shallow gorge, compared to some of the others, therefore a fairly easy walk. It also consists of some creek crossings and some creek walking which is awesome fun. Where the path is in the water, often up to waist height. All this leads to a lovely little chamber, which I spent some time in reading a book during the heat of the day. It’s about 15 deg cooler then the surrounding area and the trickling creek running through provides the most relaxing environment. I always tried timing a gorge decent about 11, returning about 2-2:30. I hate climbing in the absolute heat.

Just around the bend from this little chamber is the spectacular Handrail Pool. A huge pool with walls reaching for the skies all around. I didn’t manage any shots from inside that chamber, but I have seen some stunning images and would like to get into that pool in the right light next time i’m there.

The first image here is the small “spider walk” section leading from the first cavern I mentioned above, down to Handrail Pool. You can just see the start of the handrail at the top of the image. It’s come up with an unusual effect due to me using a warmer white balance. And really drew out the browns in the rock. I loved the smoothness of the water running straight through the image and especially the small patches of reflected light.

The next image here is from a little pool about half way along the gorge. I think it has to be the most photographed tree in Karijini!! Making an appearance in many many photographs of this gorge. Funny thing is that most are from entirely different view points! I usually wouldn’t go for such a bright focal point. But I felt it worked when on the third. And no, that’s not a croc on the left 😛